Florianopolis -
Tempers flared at the International Whaling Commission on Thursday as it voted to back a Brazilian proposal which would safeguard the marine mammals in perpetuity, after a bitter debate.

Florianopolis -
The International Whaling Commission on Wednesday cast a rare strong vote in favor of whale hunting -- but strictly for small subsistence hunts undertaken by some communities, mostly in the Arctic.

Florianopolis -
In a rare moment Wednesday, the International Whaling Commission voted overwhelmingly to back whale hunting, but strictly for small subsistence hunts undertaken by some communities, mostly in the Arctic.

Florianopolis -
Pro-whaling nations on Tuesday blocked a near two-decade effort to create a South Atlantic haven for the endangered marine mammals, deepening divisions at an already fractious International Whaling Commission meeting in Brazil.

Florianopolis -
Pro- and anti-whaling nations locked horns Monday as the International Whaling Commission (IWC) began meeting in Brazil amid outrage over Japan's proposal to end a three-decade moratorium on commercial whale hunting.

Florianopolis -
Pro- and anti-whaling nations locked horns Monday as the International Whaling Commission (IWC) began meeting in Brazil amid outrage over Japan's proposal to end a three-decade old moratorium on commercial whale hunting.

Japan's whaling fleet is currently in the Southern Ocean with a self-allocated quota to kill 333 minke whales, under the guise of "scientific" research. This blatant disregard for the law and science is outrageous in the eyes of the world.

Going against the tide of public opinion and an international court ruling, Japan's whaling boats will head for the Southern Ocean.
A chief negotiator for whaling decisions told reporters that the country will resume whaling in Antarctica in Dec. 2015.

Gentle, and increasingly friendly to whale watchers, fin whales enjoy worldwide protection as their population struggles to recover from whaling. However, Iceland defies world agreements and hunts these whales, often selling the meat illegally to Japan.